Engine starter



April 16, 1935. TI J-B LAT-,TTT Y1,997,733

ENGINE STARTER Filed March 25, 1935,

oraeys Patented Apr. 16, 1935 1,997,733

ENGINE STARTER Thodore Jean-Baptiste Laitte, Paris, France, assignor to Eclipse Machine Company, Elmira Heights, Elmira, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 25, 1933, Serial No. 662,851 In France October 6, 1932 4 Claims. (Cl. i4-7) This invention relates to an engine starter but since the screw 5 is fixed 0n the shaft 2, the more particularly to a drive ltor transmitting nut l, the spring 9, the washer I4 and the pinion motion from a starting motor to an engine to be I5 are displaced in the direction of the arrow started. at the same time compressing the spring I6 and 5 One object of the invention is to provide a effecting the meshing of the pinion I5 with the 5 drive wherein the parts which should be maingear Il. This displacement is arrested when the tained clean are protected and thus rendered washer I6 engages the ring 6 and at this moment more serviceable and susceptible of longer use the pinion l5 and the gear Il are suitably meshed without faulty operation. and the gear Il, as well as the motor to which it 10 Another object is to provide a drive comprised is xed, are about to be rotated, the rotational 10 of parts which may be quickly and cheaply coneffort being transmitted elastically due to the structed as stampings. presence of spring 9 which transmits the couple Still another object is to provide a drive whose of the starter I to the washer on which the pinion dimensions are reduced to a minimum. 6 is xed. f

Other objects and advantages or" the invention On the other hand, the meshing of the teeth 15 will be evident from the accompanying specicaof the pinion I5 with the teeth of the gear l1 tion and drawing wherein: is effected flexibly due to the presence oi spring Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section; 9 which may be longitudinally compressed as a Fig. 2 is an elevation; and consequence of the play e which is provided Fig. 3 is asection at 3-3 on Fig. 1. between the extremity of the nut 'I and the 20 The shaft 2 of the starting motor I carries a washer I4. As a result of the effort necessary screw 5 splined thereon through the intermediary to effect starting, the diameter of the spring B of splines 4. The screw butts on one of its sides decreases and the turns of the spring take supagainst the shoulder 2 of the shaft 2 and is port on the exterior of the nut 'l thereby flattenmaintained in place by a ring 6. A nut "I which ing the extremities 20 and ZI of the spring I8. 25 may be provided as a stamping is disposed about The decreasing diameter of the spring is thus the screw 5 in threaded engagement therewith limited to a reasonable value and as a conseand to the nut is hooked, by means of a hook duence rupture is precluded and at the same 3, a spring 9 which is maintained in position by time all the turns of the spring are brought into J0 a washer I 0 centered on the shaft 2 and iixed engagement with the exterior of the nut and 30 to the nut 'l by means oi screws II. A second there results therefrom a provision effectively hook I2 attaches the spring t to a washer I4 operating to preclude damaging of the spring. which is iixed to the pinion i5, the pinion I5 On starting of the engine the gear Il rotates being mounted on the smooth portion of the the pinion I5 at a speed which permits the nut 'l shaft 2 for ready longitudinal or rotary moveto unscrew on the screw 5 and to return to its 35 ment thereon. position as indicated in Figure 1, assisted by the A spring I6 is interposed between the starter spring I6 which tends to maintain the ensemble I and the pinion I5 and tends to maintain the in the position of Figure 1 during the operation pinion disengaged from the gear il with which of the engine.

40 the pinion is adapted tc mesh to effect rotation As a result of the construction and disposition 4.0 of an engine to be started. An element IB in of the elements, the overall length of the startthe form of a fiat spring embraces exteriorly the ing mechanism, and consequently the over-hang, nut l and is maintained in position by a sort of is considerably reduced. The screw 5 and the ineminence I9 which engages a depression in the terior of the nut l are protected from deposits nut, and also by its extremities 26 and Zi which of foreign matter as a result of the closed con- 45 are suitably arched. This spring i8 maintains struction provided by the screw 5, the nut 'l and the spring 9 concentric with respect to the nut the washer I0, with the result that the working 'l and prevents it from being displaced and thus parts remain clean, long functioning is insured,

engaging the adjacent elements. and disassembly avoided. The inertia, from a The functioning of the mechanism is as folrotary point of view, is considerable since it re- 50 lows: suits from the screw l, the spring 9, the washer As a result of the rotation oi the shaft 2 on I, the screws II, the washer I4 and the pinion I5 energization of the starting motor and as a result all taken together, but the inertia of the system of the inertia of the ensemble, the left-handed from a longitudinal point of view is reduced to threaded screw 5 screws into the nut l and the effect of the pinion I5 andapart of the spring 55 9, by consequence of the elasticity of the spring which may be compressed by a quantity e.

This is of considerable importance and permits a meshing of the teeth of the pinion l5 and the gear Il without shock. With the exception of the screw 5 and the pinion I5 the elements may be constructed as stampings or from sheet iron of minimum weight, cut or folded. From a con structional point of view, this is a considerable advantage and from the point of view of the device itself, limits the inertia of rotation leaving it of a value sufficient to effect the proper operation of the device.

What I claim is:

1. In an engine starter, a drive shaft, a screw member fixed thereto intermedate its length, a pinion journalled on said shaft normally in abutting relation to the screw member whereby said screw member denes the normal position of the pinion on the shaft, a nut threaded on said screw member having a closure and thrust element fixed thereto on the opposite side of the screw member from the pinion, a yielding driving and traversing connection between the nut and pinion, and resilient means for limiting the deection of said yielding connection.

2. In an engine starter, a drive shaft, a screw member fixed thereto intermediate its length, a pinion journalled on said shaft normally in abutting relation to the screw member, a nut threaded on said screw member having a closure and thrust element xed thereto on the opposite side of the screw member from the pinion, a coiled spring forming a yielding driving and traversing connection between the nut and pinion, means yieldably urging the pinion against the screw member, and yielding means xed to said nut for limiting the winding down of the spring.

3. In an engine starter, a drive shaft, a pinion journalled thereon and slidable into and out of engagement with a member of the engine to be started, a screw member fixed on said shaft forming an abutment defining the idle position of the pinion, a nut threaded on said screw member normally in spaced relation to the pinion, a connecting member fixed to the pinion normally bridging said space, a compressible coiled spring surrounding said nut and connected at its ends to said nut and connecting member respectively, and yielding means for limiting the contraction of said spring.

4. In an engine starter, a drive shaft, a pinion journalled thereon and slidable into and out of engagement with a member of the engine to be started, a screw member xed on said shaft forming an abutment for the pinion in its idle position, a nut threaded on said screw member normally in spaced relation to the pinion, a connecting member fixed to the pinion normally bridging said space, a coiled spring surrounding said nut in spaced relation therewith, connected at its ends to said nut and connecting member respectively and serving to maintain the pinion and nut in normal spaced relation, and a yielding collar fixed to the nut for limiting the winding down of the spring thereon.

THODORE J EAN -BAPT'IS'I'E LAFITTE. 

